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Job outlook for department sales managers in the United States
Department sales manager job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected department sales manager job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 23,800 new jobs for department sales managers are projected over the next decade.
Department sales manager salaries have increased 12% for department sales managers in the last 5 years.
There are over 196,300 department sales managers currently employed in the United States.
There are 297,625 active department sales manager job openings in the US.
The average department sales manager salary is $57,136.
Are department sales manager jobs in demand?
Department sales manager job and salary trends over time
Department sales manager jobs over time
Department sales manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 196,300 | 0.06% |
| 2020 | 177,719 | 0.05% |
| 2019 | 191,899 | 0.06% |
| 2018 | 189,609 | 0.06% |
| 2017 | 190,599 | 0.06% |
Average department sales manager salary over time
Department sales manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $57,136 | $27.47 | +4.5% |
| 2024 | $54,696 | $26.30 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $53,651 | $25.79 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $52,286 | $25.14 | +2.6% |
| 2021 | $50,947 | $24.49 | +3.6% |
Department sales manager jobs by state
Most common states for department sales managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 426 | 61% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 453 | 34% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,014 | 29% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 282 | 29% |
| 5 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 840 | 27% |
| 6 | Vermont | 623,657 | 168 | 27% |
| 7 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,448 | 26% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,437 | 26% |
| 9 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 917 | 26% |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 275 | 26% |
| 11 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 2,634 | 25% |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,126 | 25% |
| 13 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 259 | 25% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 3,010 | 24% |
| 15 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 2,445 | 24% |
| 16 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,456 | 24% |
| 17 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 997 | 24% |
| 18 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,551 | 23% |
| 19 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 172 | 23% |
| 20 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 1,110 | 22% |
Most common cities for department sales managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hickory | 1 | 2% | $53,990 |
| 2 | La Mesa | 1 | 2% | $60,570 |
| 3 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $61,957 |
| 4 | San Diego | 1 | 0% | $60,599 |
Department Sales Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of department sales manager experts
Texas Christian University
University of Maryland
Baylor University
Liberty University
St. John Fisher College
Emsi
Texas A&M University
University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Mount Union
Franklin and Marshall College
California State University Channel Islands
Longwood University
Aquinas College
Montana State University
Michigan State University
Upper Iowa University
Fordham University
Western State College of Law
Illinois Wesleyan University
Western Oregon University
Ken Corbit Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in MarketingTexas Christian University
Specialized Sales, Merchandising And Marketing Operations
What general advice would you give to a Department Sales Manager?
Ken Corbit Ph.D.: Strategic
Company Selection:
Focus on joining companies with robust sales training programs, emphasizing consultative selling. Look for organizations that invest in your development, providing live calling experiences, quota-driven sales processes, and exposure to tools like Salesforce.
Tech
Proficiency and Sales Tools Mastery:
Familiarize yourself with cutting-edge sales technologies, including CRM tools like Salesforce. Your proficiency in these tools will not only streamline your sales processes but also position you as a tech-savvy professional in the competitive sales landscape.
Hands-On
Experience:
Actively engage in live calling, take ownership of sales funnels, and work with senior hiring authorities during your training. This hands-on experience will not only build your confidence but also prepare you for the challenges of consultative selling.
Research
and Decision-Making Skills:
Develop strong research skills to evaluate companies based on fit, growth opportunities, compensation structures, and overall potential. This informed decision-making approach will set you apart and empower you to navigate the sales landscape strategically.
Mentorship
and Networking:
Seek mentorship both within and outside your organization. Building relationships with mentors who invest in your sales skills and knowledge will provide valuable insights. Additionally, actively participate in online forums to connect with practical sales
knowledge and best practices.
What Department Sales Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ken Corbit Ph.D.: AI-Integrated Consultative Selling: Recognize the evolving role of AI in sales. Embrace AI tools that enhance your pre-call preparation, role-playing, agenda setting, and call talk track development. Stay ahead by incorporating AI into your sales strategies to deliver personalized and efficient client engagements.
What will help Department Sales Managers increase their earning potential?
Ken Corbit Ph.D.: Holistic
Knowledge Mastery:
Become an expert in your industry, staying abreast of market trends, and thoroughly understanding the products/services you sell. This comprehensive knowledge will empower you to provide exceptional value, resulting in higher sales success and increased client
retention.
Strategic
Question-Based Selling:
Master the art of question-based selling. Use insightful questions to uncover client needs, address pain points, and tailor your approach. This strategic skill will not only boost initial sales but also contribute to secondary sales and long-term client satisfaction.
Compensation
Structure Expertise:
Understand your organization's compensation structure thoroughly. This includes baseline compensation, commission and bonus plans, and additional benefits. This knowledge allows you to set realistic targets, maximize your earnings, and take full advantage
of uncapped commission structures.
Consistent
Target Achievement:
Consistently meet or exceed targets and quotas to demonstrate your value. This not only enhances your immediate success but also positions you for continuous earning potential, especially in roles with uncapped commissions.
Negotiation
and Value Recognition:
Develop negotiation skills to ensure you are compensated appropriately. Recognize your worth and, when appropriate, discuss compensation adjustments or additional benefits with your employer. A proactive approach to recognizing and articulating your value
contributes to your overall salary potential.
In a rapidly evolving sales landscape, continuous learning, tech adaptability, and proactive career management are fundamental for achieving sustained success in consultative sales.
Roland Rust Ph.D.
Distinguished University Professor, David Bruce Smith Chair in Marketing, Executive Director, Center for Excellence in Service, Ph.D., Business Administration, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill MarketingUniversity of Maryland
Robert H. Smith School of Business
What skills stand out on Department Sales Manager resumes?
Roland Rust Ph.D.: One might think that a stellar sales record would be most important, but that would be most relevant only if the individual has prior sales manager experience. If promoting a salesperson to sales manager, the thing that may be missing is administrative and managerial skills. In addition, we are in a technological revolution, driven by AI, which means that prior knowledge and experience with AI-related analysis would also definitely stand out (although probably hard to find).
Andrea Dixon Ph.D.
Executive Director, Center for Professional Selling, Frank and Floy Smith Holloway Endowed Professorship in Marketing, President, University Sales Center Alliance 2019-2021Baylor University
Hankamer School of Business
What skills stand out on Department Sales Manager resumes?
Andrea Dixon Ph.D.: Like salespeople, sales managers must focus their resumes on tangible, objective performance results that are achieved by their teams.
Growth in revenue or quota attainment for the overall team are examples of the types of objective performance results that matter.
High-performing sales managers also highlight long-term performance indicators, which includes both long-term revenue growth by the unit
AND investment metrics that signal the sales manager is building company results for the long run. For example, a high-performance sales manager focuses on building and maintaining a high-performing unit. Such a manager looks to move low performers to other roles where they can be successful.
Another investment metric that a sales manager can signal is the percent of their unit promoted to managerial roles in the organization.
What soft skills should all Department Sales Managers possess?
Andrea Dixon Ph.D.: Since sales professionals have a lot of information available to them today via customer relationship management (CRM) systems, the sales manager's "supervisory" role is less important (especially for experienced sellers). Consequently, the sales manager needs to be more of a coach and enabler of high performance. Having confidence balanced with humility allows the sales manager to engage more effectively with their salespeople.
One of the critical soft skills for sales managers going forward will be the ability to connect members of the sales team to others in the organization - in other words, the sales manager of the future needs to have strong skills in network building for others. Sellers have access to data which helps them build success.
They also need access to the right people to turn to when they need specific expertise or assistance.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Department Sales Managers?
Andrea Dixon Ph.D.: One of the growing technical skill requirements for sales managers is in the area of data analytics. Our performance and customer systems provide a myriad of data, and the role of the sales manager is to be a sense-maker of that mound of data. What are the implications for changes in strategy or behavior evident in last quarter's activity? How can the sales manager help a specific seller "see" where the data suggest new approaches?
What skills will help Department Sales Managers earn the most?
Andrea Dixon Ph.D.: People who can recognize patterns (in data, in people), build connections with and across others, create a focus on high-performance behaviors, and lead with a confident humility are those who will win today and in the future business environment.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Department Sales Manager job market given the pandemic?
Chris Huseman Ph.D.: I can foresee several business reconsidering their business structure from a brick and mortar to continuing in a virtual office space. This can be a wonderful opportunity for businesses to gain a more diverse work force with enhanced skillsets that may have been limited in the past to geographical barriers, travel and moving expenses. Businesses will also, with this in mind, want to see more proof of a job candidate's competencies and offer them virtual "tests" to assess their abilities. This now can be done with far less costs than it was before. Candidates will be challenged to showcase their skillsets and a greater importance on their production, critical thinking and creativity will be demanded. We have seen many new graduates finish their schooling in a virtual on online context. Candidates are going to have to embrace a digital world but yet develop ways to still ensure they and the company they work for are able to communicate and provide a personable experience and brand to customers they serve. There will also be a high importance placed on a candidate's ability to be flexible and adapt to change like never before.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Department Sales Managers?
Clair Smith Ph.D.: Yes, I'm sure there will be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on graduates. The latter part of their college experience was fundamentally different from what they expected. Besides the obvious changes to how classes were conducted, social, athletic, and internship opportunities were all diminished or altered. They lived something very different from what they were expecting. It was often hard. Yet for many of them, these challenges and struggles formed the crucible in which students developed adaptability and resilience. And those traits will be valuable for them going forward both personally and professionally.
How have salaries changed over time for Department Sales Managers?
Rob Sentz: As demand increases and supply decreases, wages are going up. Weekly wages increased 7% last year and we are seeing the companies have raised their advertised wages (the amount they are willing to pay to get you in for an interview) by as much as 16%. This means that there is a lot of opportunity and companies are willing to pay to get the talent they need.
Janet Turner Parish
Clinical Professor and Associate Department HeadTexas A&M University
Department of Marketing
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Department Sales Managers?
Janet Turner Parish: It will be some time before we know the enduring impact, but I do believe there will be one. Some students who are very self-directed will likely thrive in a company that continues to give them the flexibility to work wherever they are. However, many students will be craving structure and face-to-face time. Studying the generational cohorts fascinates me. Some of the early information about Gen Z indicated that they wanted to work in-office, that they wanted more separation between work and "life". It will be very interesting to see how/if this changes. This is surely to be one of the defining moments for Gen Z.
What's a good job out of college for Department Sales Managers?
Janet Turner Parish: For students who have good listening skills and enjoy solving problems, professional selling is a great career path. Sales roles are critical for a company's success. Sales skills are industry independent and beneficial for all types of organizational roles, especially leadership. The earning potential is significant and there are multiple career paths from a start in sales (operations, HR, sales management, CEO, etc.).
Dr. Barbara Joyce
ACCESS Academic Advisor for undergraduate students in Sociology, Departmental advisorUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa
Department of Sociology
What's a good job out of college for Department Sales Managers?
Dr. Barbara Joyce: A good job out of college is one that the graduates want, a job that is meaningful, that uplifts and inspires them, a job in which they use, and continue to develop, their talents and skills, and, of course, a job that provides them with the material resources and benefits they need to enjoy life. Credit where credit is due, Stephen R. Covey writes of the importance of those elements in his book Principle-Centered Leadership. I like his work a lot.
Michael Grossman Ph.D.
Professor, Political Studies and International StudiesUniversity of Mount Union
Department of Political Science and International Studies
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Department Sales Managers?
Michael Grossman Ph.D.: It is less about licenses or courses and more about experiences. In this regard, internships are crucial.
What will help Department Sales Managers increase their earning potential?
Michael Grossman Ph.D.: It's all about practical knowledge. Employers are less interested in your major or the classes you take. They want to see that you can do the work they need you to do. So internships are important. Also employers want to see you can be trained and can think critically, write well, and speak well. So in this regard more liberal arts focused curriculum is important.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Department Sales Managers?
Cynthia Krom: Professional certifications matter. If your profession has a certification, you need to have that certification to be competitive in this new world. So, a public accountant needs to have a CPA, and a corporate accountant needs to have their CMA. A fraud examiner needs their CFE. Find out what is available in your profession and take whatever courses or exams are needed to be at the top of your game, because everyone else will.
We don't really know what will be happening with professional licenses with remote work. A psychotherapist may be licensed in New York, but remotely treating a client in New Mexico. Technically, they probably need a license in New Mexico. But who will control that? Will it just be the professional responsibility of the therapist to only practice where licensed? Will their malpractice insurance only cover them if the client is where they are licensed? What about a physician operating on someone a thousand miles away using robotics?
In terms of courses not related to professional certification or licensure, technology is where it is at. First and foremost, polish your Zoom skills. Zoom is now your face-to-face workplace and you need to be a pro. YouTube has great videos about lighting for Zoom, even with reflective eyeglasses. Perhaps your IT department is able to help with connectivity issues and learning remote technologies. And, as we have all recently seen, you need to learn how to turn off filters that make you look like a kitten! For nearly every field, you have to know Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) or similar programs. You need to know how to work collaboratively on projects through things like Google Drive. If you are not fluent in the basics, you are showing up for a horse race with a little pony.
Ekin Pehlivan Ph.D.
Associate Professor of MarketingCalifornia State University Channel Islands
Martin V. Smith School of Business and Economics
What's a good job out of college for Department Sales Managers?
Ekin Pehlivan Ph.D.: I think a description of a "good" job opportunity is dependent on so many factors, almost all subjective. What I recommend my students usually, is that they try different things before graduation and find something that makes them feel a purpose other than (and in addition to) making ends meet. For this reason we started a program on our campus where students are hired to help non-profits and small businesses in our area of service. In this program, students get to gain and practice skills that can help them succeed in a corporate or freelance capacity. The students get to experiment without fear of losing a job and find what they would like their entry level positions to look like. While doing this they also help organizations and individuals who have the need but not the resources to get the services from professionals.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Department Sales Managers to find work opportunities?
Dr. David Lehr: Most job growth will continue to be in urban centers and the surrounding suburbs. Rural areas will continue to struggle (remote work notwithstanding).
What skills stand out on Department Sales Manager resumes?
Dr. David Lehr: Information flow skills, particularly surrounding data analytics.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Department Sales Manager job market given the pandemic?
Dr. David Lehr: A premium on flexibility and having a variety of skillsets. Continued weakness across the board in labor markets.
Kerri Orders
Assistant Professor of BusinessAquinas College
Business Administration Department
What general advice would you give to a Department Sales Manager?
Kerri Orders: There is more than one path to any given career, therefore students will benefit from being curious, creative, and collaborative as they embark upon their international business careers. More than ever, employers will be looking for students who are adaptable, flexible, and proactive. In this tighter job market, students should be more open-minded about opportunities and willing to work in a range of sectors and different sizes of companies. The pandemic has impacted businesses around the world, so this advice will apply to graduates from all regions of the world.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Department Sales Manager job market given the pandemic?
Kerri Orders: In 2020, companies of all sizes rapidly changed the way they were organized and conducted business daily, both internally and externally, with customers and suppliers. COVID has accelerated the potential and opportunity for remote work, both domestically and within the international business environment. Consequently, the future trends for international business will be a decrease in business travel and an increase in collaboration and communication via remote modalities. Many companies have now realized the ability for employees to conduct international business via remote networks, which are both effective and economically efficient. Increasingly, employers are looking for candidates with a global mindset, a culturally diverse range of experiences, and a broad skill set. In addition, employers will expect candidates to have a high level of technical and communication skills in order to thrive and have a shorter learning curve at the entry level. It is important for students entering the job market to highlight and promote their specific skills and value added to a potential employer.
What Department Sales Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kerri Orders: In terms of a gap year, I recommend that international business students acquire tangible skills, relevant experience and/or certifications which will enhance their success in their desired area of interest. For example, a gap year could consist of gaining technical or digital training overseas, which would also further the students' cultural intelligence and language proficiency. These types of enriching gap year experiences will assist students to distinguish themselves in a highly competitive market. Furthermore, students should focus on broadening and maintaining their global network during a gap year in order to be ready for the job market once the gap year is concluded.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Department Sales Manager job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Angela Woodland Ph.D.: There is still work that needs to be done. Those jobs that are necessary for the economy to continue and for the protection and service of the public will continue to need willing and able employees. The field I know most about is accounting. Publicly-traded companies are required to have audits of their financial statements. This is for the protection of all who use financial statements to make investing decisions. Think about your retirement savings plans, 401(k) plans, etc. So, every year there is a need to hire students who are ready to take the CPA exam and ready to become auditors. The same goes for students who are trained and ready to prepare income tax returns for corporations and individuals. Pandemic or no pandemic, we still need accountants. In fact, we now need accountants who are prepared to make certain that loans and grants related to pandemic relief have been used for their intended purposes and have been distributed appropriately.
What skills stand out on Department Sales Manager resumes?
Dr. Angela Woodland Ph.D.: Skills that are immediately useful stand out on resumes. Right now, data analytics skills are in hot demand. A desirable job candidate should be able to import large data sets in various formats, clean data, manipulate data, interrogate data, and draw conclusions from the data. Additionally, the job candidate should be able to prepare informative and easy-to-follow data visualizations of the results. This skill set allows a job candidate to be immediately useful in an organization. It is the new way of analyzing and communicating.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Department Sales Managers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Angela Woodland Ph.D.: There are pockets of opportunity in most communities. The savvy student will meet and make connections with local businesses through internships, student clubs, guest lectures, and other college events. With a little effort, students can learn to speak the vernacular of local industries and tailor their resumes and skill sets accordingly.
Wyatt Schrock Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of MarketingMichigan State University
Broad College of Business
What experience really stands out on Department Sales Manager resumes?
Wyatt Schrock Ph.D.: Based on my experience and discussions with recruiters, at least two things stand out for applicants looking for sales jobs. First, I think transferrable skills are important to signal on a resume. For example, working as a hostess or waiter at a restaurant could signal to recruiters certain interpersonal skills that are important in sales. Second, I think any experience that allows the applicant to quantify their success will help applicants to stand out. If a person did well at work, I think it is worth spending some time thinking about how to tell that story with numbers. I think numbers can be just as important as words on a resume, especially when applying for a sales position.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Department Sales Managers?
Wyatt Schrock Ph.D.: For graduates entering careers in sales, I expect the coronavirus pandemic to have at least one enduring impact. That is, I think the pandemic has changed the way that people think about the nature of buyer-seller interactions. In particular, I think we now know that a lot of relationship-building, problem-solving, etc., can be accomplished remotely with video meeting applications. This development might, for example, ultimately lead to lower levels of business travel for salespeople.
What type of skills will young Department Sales Managers need?
Wyatt Schrock Ph.D.: For graduates entering careers in sales, two skills that come to my mind are (1) listening skills and (2) analytical skills. First, I think listening is indeed a skill that can be developed with techniques and practice. Importantly, and for several reasons (e.g., building rapport, overcoming objections), I do not think you can be a good salesperson and be a bad listener. Second, I think analytical skills may be overlooked in terms of importance for salespeople. Certainly, selling is about relationship-building. However, and simultaneously, selling is also about delivering quantifiable value. It may be increasingly important for salespeople to have the ability to demonstrate exactly how or where they intend to help their customers grow revenue or reduce expenses.
Dr. Karla Gavin
Director of the Master of Sport Administration Program, Associate Professor of Sport Administration (2010)Upper Iowa University
School of Business and Professional Studies
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Department Sales Manager job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Karla Gavin: At this time, it appears that individuals will continue to be interviewed and hired virtually without meeting their employer face-to-face. To retain these new hires, employers need to have stellar orientation programs to be completed remotely and onboarding that engages them before Day 1 of employment. Constant communication is critical, especially in the hiring process.
Work is very likely to be conducted in a virtual format for many employees in at least the first six months of 2021. Candidates with experience working with multiple virtual communication platforms will stand out during this time frame.
Employers may require employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19 before returning to face-to-face work with colleagues and clients. Depending on what happens as this vaccine is more widely administered, it could impact employee and new hire decisions to stay or to leave.
What skills stand out on Department Sales Manager resumes?
Dr. Karla Gavin: College students who graduate and move into the workforce need to think of themselves as independent contractors. They need to articulate their abilities to be flexible and adaptable, and to communicate very clearly in written and verbal communication. Job candidates will benefit from viewing issues as challenges instead of problems and using out-of-the-box thinking to resolve those issues.
They need to share their ability to work with diverse groups of people in team settings. Their willingness to be lifelong learners is important and they should reflect their desire to attend professional development activities and to pursue advanced degrees or certifications. Examples of leadership positions and opportunities need to be indicated on the resume.
Each of the areas mentioned above requires related examples to be stated concisely to reiterate their accomplishments and future goals.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Department Sales Managers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Karla Gavin: The world of work is in great flux right now. Willingness to relocate and to learn the field from the bottom up is very important, wherever that might be. Too many students have unrealistic expectations for salary and job title upon graduation.
They also need to know themselves well enough to understand how their personal purpose and passion match that of their chosen field and of their specific employer.
What type of skills will young Department Sales Managers need?
Peter Johnson DPS: There are three things that employers are looking for:
1. Demonstrated ability to solve problems
2. Ability to analyze and make decisions based on data
3. Communication skills with management, teams, and clients
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Department Sales Managers?
Peter Johnson DPS: From an academic standpoint, I believe there will be a minimal long-lasting impact on our graduates. All students will be required to complete the necessary credits and be assessed for their performance. Many of their courses will be online, but there is currently no research body that clearly indicates that online teaching is significantly less effective than in class. Several studies of work from home (WFH) indicate comparable or increase productivity.
What experience really stands out on Department Sales Manager resumes?
Peter Johnson DPS: For entry-level positions, resumes need to include the basic "table stakes" type of skills: career-related coursework, leadership experience, and technical competencies: PowerPoint, Excel, CRM, and something like Python, if analytics are required. To stand out and for mid-level positions: published articles or white paper; original research, for demonstrated expertise in a product or service category.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Department Sales Managers?
Deirdre Kelly: It's difficult to tell at this point what/if the enduring impact of Covid 19 will be on graduates. It appears that there may be a shift in how lawyers work and in their work environment, with more remote work and job flexibility a possibility. In fact, it may be possible for some lawyers to live long distances away from their jobs, even in different states, and work remotely.
What type of skills will young Department Sales Managers need?
Deirdre Kelly: Young graduates will need the same traditional legal skills that they have always needed. Additionally, they will need to be resilient and creative to weather a more challenging and ever-evolving work environment. They will need to be very disciplined and able to work independently, if they are working more remotely, and have enough technical skills to navigate the virtual world. New graduates will need to think about how they build relationships with their co-workers and develop mentors, as well as develop clients and networks, if the future means working remotely more and not as many in-person meetings.
What experience really stands out on Department Sales Manager resumes?
Deirdre Kelly: Practical experience. There is no substitute for learning from actually working in the field under real conditions with real clients, opposing counsel, and judges under the pressure of deadlines and the need to have a successful outcome. Graduates and students need to remember that the depth and quality of an experience are far more impactful than sometimes what you perceive as a more prestigious opportunity on paper.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Department Sales Managers?
Brian Richardson: For recent graduates, the job search process has essentially been disrupted due to a level of uncertainty being experienced on an industry-by-industry basis. This doesn't mean jobs have disappeared, which is supported by the number of employers who still have hiring needs and will continue to do so. What this means is that applicants must be open-minded and adaptable, while being willing to really lean on their networking skills to connect in meaningful ways, and not just blindly applying for job openings. The question that should be asked goes beyond 'what jobs are available,' but 'what problems can be solved' with the skills-based competencies, practical experiences, and knowledge gained through a broad-based education, internships, and research opportunities. From there, they must be able to articulate that value on a resume and in conversation at every opportunity they have available to them.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Department Sales Manager job market given the pandemic?
Adry S. Clark Ph.D.: The major change we've seen, so far, in the job market is the move to remote working and job cuts in some significant sectors. This will probably mean that we will see remote working become more common in the years to come. Companies will enhance their capacity to hire remote workers, and workers may look for opportunities where they can work from home.
While the 25-34 age group has been hit the most, those with high-school degrees or less have taken the greatest hit.
Employers are going to prioritize skills, more than specific roles, in order to be more flexible. I would encourage people to develop critical skills that potentially open up multiple opportunities for their career development, rather than preparing for a specific next role. That may mean that English majors develop some skills that are technical, such as writing blogs or writing web content.
What skills stand out on Department Sales Manager resumes?
Adry S. Clark Ph.D.: The skills that stand out on resumes fall into two categories: 1) Skills required to do the job and 2) Skills almost all employers look for. The most important aspect of resumes is to make sure it reflects exactly what the employer needs. Study the job description, identify key skills, and have them reflected on your resume. Think about transferrable skills, not the specific roles you've had.
Most employers look for skills such as communication (written/oral), flexibility, proactivity, problem-solving, project management, and technical. Make sure to cultivate those skills in whatever role you have, and have examples that demonstrate those skills.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Department Sales Managers to find work opportunities?
Adry S. Clark Ph.D.: It all depends on what you want to do. An English major helps you develop some very broad skill sets - keep in mind most employers value good writing skills. Some work opportunities are highly localized. If your goals include working in the publishing industry, for instance, you might be better off being in New York, where most big book publishers are located. You might also find some smaller publishers all over the country. If technical writing is more to your liking, perhaps the Bay Area might offer more opportunities.